6 best day trips from Sedona

Day trips compared

The day trips

180 km · About 2 hours 15 minutes by car

1.Grand Canyon South Rim

The South Rim's viewpoints at Mather Point, Yavapai Point and along Desert View Drive look into the mile-deep canyon. Leave early to walk part of the Rim Trail and return via Flagstaff for dinner.

Getting there

Car via Flagstaff, or an organised tour

Best for

First-timers, Families, Couples

45 km · About 45 minutes by car

2.Jerome

A hillside former copper-mining town of galleries, tasting rooms and restored buildings with views across the Verde Valley to the red rocks. Jerome State Historic Park's mansion museum explains the mining boom.

Getting there

Car via Cottonwood

Best for

Couples, Culture, Shopping

40 km · About 30 minutes by car

3.Montezuma Castle National Monument

A five-storey Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked into a limestone alcove high above Beaver Creek, reached by a short paved loop. Nearby Montezuma Well is a limestone sinkhole lake with more ruins.

Getting there

Car via I-17

Best for

Families, Culture

45 km · About 45 minutes by car

4.Flagstaff

A mountain town at about 2,100 metres with a historic Route 66 downtown, breweries and Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930. The drive up Oak Creek Canyon's switchbacks is part of the appeal.

Getting there

Car through Oak Creek Canyon

Best for

Families, Food lovers, Culture

40 km · About 40 minutes by car to Clarkdale

5.Verde Canyon Railroad

A heritage train from Clarkdale runs through a remote canyon along the Verde River, past red cliffs, a tunnel and Sinagua ruins, on a round trip of about four hours with open-air viewing cars.

Getting there

Car to Clarkdale, then heritage train

Best for

Families, Couples, Quiet stays

110 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

6.Meteor Crater

A meteorite impact crater about 1.2 km wide and 170 metres deep in the high desert east of Flagstaff, with viewing platforms on the rim and a visitor centre.

Getting there

Car via Flagstaff and I-40

Best for

Families, First-timers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• The free Sedona Shuttle runs from park-and-ride lots to several of the busiest trailheads, including Cathedral Rock and the Devil's Bridge area. Verde Lynx buses link Sedona with Cottonwood.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask